Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

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Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are an English rock band formed in 2010 as the solo moniker of former Oasis lead guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher. The touring band consists of former Oasis guitarist Gem Archer, former Oasis session pianist Mike Rowe, former Oasis drummer Chris Sharrock, and The Zutons bassist Russell Pritchard. The band has also had a variety of guests contribute to their albums such as the Crouch End Festival Chorus, Amorphous Androgynous, Johnny Marr and Paul Weller.

Since his departure from Oasis in August 2009, many speculated that Gallagher might record a solo album. In July 2011, he held a press conference to confirm that this was the case, after denying rumours from his brother Liam Gallagher that he had already heard the tracks featured on it. Later that year, Noel released the project's self-titled debut album. Several singles from the album were released, including "The Death of You and Me", "If I Had a Gun...", "AKA... What a Life!", "Dream On" and "Everybody's on the Run". In 2015, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds released their second album, Chasing Yesterday. Their third, Who Built the Moon?, followed in November 2017.

Gallagher explained in an interview with Jonathan Ross on The Jonathan Ross Show that the inspiration for the band's name was from two sources. The idea to prefix the name with "Noel Gallagher's" was formed whilst washing up dishes listening to the album Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, while the latter part of the name is taken from the song "High Flying Bird" recorded by Jefferson Airplane among others.

Video Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

History

Break-up of Oasis (2009-10)

On 12 July 2009, rumours that Noel Gallagher intended to go solo came from Oasis's publicist, however that this was not true. Two months later, a fight between the Gallagher brothers took place in a backstage area, reportedly resulting in Noel's guitar being smashed by Liam, and Noel subsequently storming off. On 28 August 2009 Oasis' manager announced the cancellation of their concert at the Rock en Seine festival near Paris just minutes before it was about to begin, along with the cancellation of the European tour and a statement that Oasis "does not exist anymore". Two hours later, a statement from Noel appeared on the band's website writing that "with some sadness and great relief...I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."

High Flying Birds and scrapped Amorphous Androgynous album project (2011-12)

His solo career plans began in earnest after the demise of Oasis, on 6 July 2011, Gallagher held a press conference in London during which he announced that Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds would release a self-titled album on 17 October 2011, and a second collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous would be released in 2012. In July 2011, he released his debut single "The Death of You and Me", to positive reviews. Following the success of "The Death of You and Me", Gallagher confirmed on his website that the band's next UK single would be "AKA... What a Life!" which was released on 11 September 2011. "If I Had a Gun...", Gallagher's first US single, was made available on iTunes on 20 September 2011. Gallagher's second album was to be a collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous, due in late 2012. He said, "It sounds a bit like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The sound is similar to High Flying Birds, but more psychedelic and tripped out. It's not an electronic project. People are jumping to that conclusion because Amorphous Androgynous used to be an electronic outfit."

In the press conference, explaining solo album material and collaboration talk, Gallagher admitted the collaboration is "fucking far out. It's got like 18 tracks on it, some of it's krautrock, some of it's soul, some of it's funk and that's just the first song." Then later confessing, that he's nervous about releasing his second solo album with Amorphous Androgynous. "A lot of people are looking forward to it, which I'm a bit nervous about. They're building it up in their own minds, thinking it's going to be something it might not be when they hear it. It's fucking good, but I probably shouldn't have announced it. But I just thought, 'It's finished, so fuck it, here's what I've been working on.'" He later found it hard to say "no comment" to journalists, adding, "I'm just cursed with an absolute endless stream of one-liners. I'm sorry about that. People say it's the way I talk in interviews that makes people interested. But they just mean I'm honest. 'Oh, he's got a way with honesty, that lad...' How depressing is that?" On 16 March 2012, Gallagher announced that his next EP titled Songs from the Great White North would be released exclusively for Record Shop Day on 21 April 2012. The EP is made up of B-sides and includes his recent collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous, "Shoot a Hole Into the Sun".

For the High Flying Birds touring band, Gallagher recruited keyboardist Mike Rowe and drummer Jeremy Stacey, both of whom continued their roles from the album sessions. Former The Zutons bassist Russell Pritchard, upon hearing that Gallagher had recorded an album and was putting together a band, got in touch and offered his services. David McConnell of The Sand Band was originally chosen for the lead guitarist role but dropped out four weeks before the band's first show; American musician Tim Smith, whom Rowe and Stacey had known from their time together as part of Sheryl Crow's backing band, was hired as the new guitarist.

Chasing Yesterday (2013-2016)

On 15 August 2013, Noel had been scheduled to join Andy Goldstein and Jason Victor Cundy for the talkshow, Talksport for Sports Bar to discuss Manchester City topics and much more. When rivaled of questions from fans on Twitter and through Email, Andy Goldstein read through speculations of rumours of an Oasis reunion for Gallagher while on the show, and once again switched off any possible Oasis reunion rumours for 2014, and then had been asked if he was working on any new 'High Flying Birds' material, he confirmed with the talkshow:

"I've got tons of songs leftover from the last one. What am I doing at the moment? I'm writing, putting stuff together. I'll definitely make another one, [a new album], that's for sure! I don't want to go back out on the road though, that's the thing." Guarding any more of detail of a new second solo album, Gallagher was then asked for a release date of new material, and with hesitation, he said: "It'll probably come out when it's finished, I don't know."

Gallagher claimed on 20 October 2013 as well that his most recent songs that were written solely for the new album are his 'best songs ever' written. "I finished it and I played it (the new songs), I think 'That's pretty good! In fact, it might be the best song I've ever written!' -- Until I heard 'Rock and Roll Star' on the radio, and go, 'Yeah... it's not that good!'."

On 17 February 2014, Rosie Danvers and The Wired Strings collaborated with Noel Gallagher for his second solo album, recording strings for one track. The session occurred at Abbey Road Studios in London, according to the Wired Strings website.

On 29 May 2014, Gallagher posted a photo on his official Facebook page confirming he has started work on his second album and follow-up. The photo shows him tuning one of his many electric guitars.

On 17 June 2014, his wife, Sara MacDonald, indicated on Instagram that Gallagher was in the middle of recording his new album. She posted a message to fans confirming that Gallagher would not be making his usual trip to the World Cup, "Brace yourselves people.......he's not going. At all. He is too busy".

On 13 October 2014, it was announced that a new album titled Chasing Yesterday would be released on 2 March 2015. The first single from the album, "In the Heat of the Moment", was released on 17 November 2014 followed by "Ballad of the Mighty I" and "Riverman". A UK, European and North American tour followed as well as many festival appearances.

On 4 July 2015 they headlined at Calling Festival in Clapham Common. After performing their first song (Everybody's on the run) Noel spoke to the crowd saying; "Hello Clapham... Now there's something I never thought I'd say".

The Chasing Yesterday tour continued into 2016, though on 7 March - a day before the tour resumed in Guadalajara, Mexico - it was announced that drummer Jeremy Stacey would be joining King Crimson. After this leg of the tour took the band to South America, Australia and Europe, Stacey's final show was on April 30 in his hometown of Bournemouth. For the remainder of the tour, Gallagher reunited with former Oasis touring drummer Chris Sharrock, whose first show was in Atlanta on July 1. Sharrock was actually one of only two drummers in England, along with Stacey, that Gallagher originally considered during High Flying Birds' inception. However, since Sharrock had already joined Beady Eye, Liam Gallagher's new band with the other former members of Oasis, that left Stacey as the only choice by default.

The tour concluded that September with a one-off show at the Brixton Academy (the first time Noel had ever headlined the venue with either his High Flying Birds or Oasis). During this show, Noel was joined on stage by special guests Johnny Marr and Paul Weller.

Who Built the Moon? (2017-present)

Gallagher announced he had begun working on a third solo album on 6 October 2016, when he posted a picture on Instagram of himself in a studio with the caption, "New shoes. New amp. New album. There is no rest for the wicked ones."

On 24 June 2017, Gallagher introduced a special screening of the Oasis documentary Supersonic.

On 6 July 2017, Gallagher posted a photo from rehearsals for their upcoming European dates in support of U2, noting that they had new members. The members in question were Sharrock, former Oasis and Beady Eye drummer, who had retained his position as drummer after the most recent High Flying Birds tour in mid-2016, along with former Oasis and Beady Eye guitarist Gem Archer. This marked Gallagher and Archer's reunion as bandmates, though the latter had previously sat in on several of Gallagher's solo acoustic shows since Oasis' split.

On 9 September 2017, the band served as the headline act of "We Are Manchester", a benefit concert to mark the reopening of Manchester Arena (following a terrorist attack there in May).

On 25 September 2017, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds announced that their third studio album, titled Who Built the Moon? would be released on 24 November 2017.

Prior to a performance on Later... with Jools Holland, the band added Jessica Greenfield on backing vocals and keyboards.

In February 2018, the band commenced their Stranded on the Earth World Tour in North America before moving onto Europe and the United Kingdom throughout April and May 2018.

Maps Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Discography

Studio albums

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (2011)
Chasing Yesterday (2015)
Who Built the Moon? (2017)

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Holy Mountain - YouTube

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Touring band members

Noel Gallagher - lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar (2010-present)
Mike Rowe - keyboards (2010-present)
Russell Pritchard - bass, backing vocals (2011-present)
Chris Sharrock - drums (2016-present)
Gem Archer - rhythm and lead guitar (2016-present)
Jessica Greenfield - backing vocals and additional keyboards (2017-present)
Charlotte Marionneau - tin whistle, scissors, spoken French, tambourine, backing vocals (2017-present)
YSEÉ - vocals (2017-present)